Sweet Nightmare

06

I dropped Echo’s hand and backed off. I’m wanted of the crime I never committed. I was still paralyzed out of shock when Echo opened his eyes.

Sweet Nightmare*

Echo struggled to stand up. “I brought you here ‘cause the droids want you dead.”

“You’re a droid too, right? So you brought me here for a clean kill, is that it?”

“No. I brought you here because I want answers. Answers for my rotten questions.” I sat at the floor cross-legged.

“It’s not like I could help. I won’t even know you exist if I wasn’t recruited.”

“Oh sure, you do.” I raised my eyebrow and gave him a questioning look. “My father needs you and it’s not like I could watch someone die at my hands without a reason.”

“Don’t act as if you have a white heart.”

“Don’t act as if you know me.”

“Of course I know you! You are the reason why my parents are killed. Due to the psychopathic measures of your father! You’re his son, right? His creation. So I know exactly what you are doing.”

“Is that what they told you? The rebels? Wait, I forgot, you are special. And special children have big heads. So big, it might pop. They think they know everything. That their judgment is the only right thing.” This is enough. My mom is not like that. She's not… I stood up to leave but echo grabbed my arm and spun me around. He locked me at the corner of the wall. He leaned against the wall. He’s so close I could feel him breathing. “They act as if they’re brave, but what they really were? Weaklings.” He put his face away from me. “You wanted to kill me you say? The rebels wanted so bad to kill me? You can put me to sleep anytime. But as far as I can tell, with that look on your face – determined but scared – you do not differ from them. Weak.”

Without warning, flashes of pictures flashed before me. Once again, I saw my father dying while rebels at my back continue their whispers of disapproval. I saw my mom dying. I saw her smiling at me and telling me to take good care of Aqua. I saw Aqua suffering at the hospital bed. Begging for me not to leave her alone. I saw Captain smiling for the first time. The blonde girl mouthing thank you. The rebels. Their families. The images came flashing faster until it produced one image. Echo. This is all because of you and those things like you. Tears started streaming at my cheeks. Echo looked shocked. I took hold of the baton tighter and aimed it at his system.

Sweet Nightmare*

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I raised my head and looked at Echo’s closed eyes. “Just like you, all I want is answers.” Echo opened his eyes and looked at the baton inches away from his system.

Sweet Nightmare*

Echo proudly smiled. “See? You can’t do it.” His watch rang.

“Yes Botock?” he said using a disturbed voice.

“Sire, the rebels had taken over Dratha, and Riharo is under attack. Master Murdock and Master Michael are out of reach. Where are you, sir? It had taken me hours to contact you. Sire, your place has no signal.”

“I’m coming. I’ll just finish some business.”

“Sire, be quick.” Botock slowly said. Static followed. He looked at me.

“If Delta and Charlie are those Murdock and Michael, I can tell Echo is not your real name, is it?” He ignored me and took his coat and about to leave when I spoke, “No rules? You’re that sure that I won’t do anything?” He looked at me once again. He surveyed me from head to toe.

“I know you won’t run, you’re smart enough to learn the consequences. You won’t kill yourself, you have a sister. And you won’t ruin or burn this house unless you want a bamboo tree as your shelter.” He’s about to close the door when he paused as if remembering something but then continued to leave. I sighed.

I walked at the pool of dead people and tried hard not to step on them. I stood beside Michael.

“You’re late. Where have you been?” Michael asked.

“The pit.” I simply answered.

“Don’t reason out the pit! The only pit here is this, the place where you were standing. You’re the one in charge with this place yet I’m the one Botock annoys.”

“What happened here?”

“I finished your job, that’s what happened.” He sighed. “This is one of the rebels’ base. I was told to negotiate with them. My last resort is to kill them and my only plan is to torture them and make them stop this mess. But some dumb leader bombed this place along with them and so, as a result, your assignment is finished. Thanks to me.” He spotted the droids burying the bodies. “Hey! Hey! Where’s Botock?” Botock appeared at our side from nowhere. 

“Yes, sire?”

“Why are you burying those useless things? Who told you to do so? Who told them?”

“Master Myst, sire.” Michael glared at me as Botock gets back to work.

“Your sympathy is growing my dear brother. What’s happened to you? The brother I know is a psychopathic killer.”

“They have the right to be buried, to be respected.” He nodded in approval.

“You have a point Myst. But I can’t shake the feeling that you are being too soft.” He walked away to leave as he purposefully steps on the bodies. “Kob! Do I have any more useless appointments aside from this one?”

“No sir. Just a shareholder meeting from another country and another estate.”

He waved his hands as if repelling a fly. “They’re useless too all right. I mean, can’t they just let their mail be a mail? I’m not interested as to how beautiful their voices were.” He skipped at the last body. “And ah, Myst. The argument about the place you’d been before this is not yet closed. Get a convincing answer ready.” I watched him leave the place as my palms sweat.

Sweet Nightmare.*